.. THE LAND STEWARD MASA Newsletter of the Michigan Agricultural Vol. 5, No.1 Stewardship Association February 1996 Five Years Of On-Farm Research With this publication, MASA com- pletes five years of sponsoring farmer- driven on-farm research and demonstra- tions and publishing the results. In 1991, the Michigan Agricultural Stewardship Association and its on-farm research committee began offering finan- cial help, enthusiastic moral support and technical advice to farmers who wanted to try a new idea or practice to see if it would work on their farms. Most of them wanted to find out for themselves just how much" nitrogen they needed to produce that corn crop, for ex- ample, or just what rate of herbicide would kill the weeds, or how a cover crop affects yields and soil and water quality. They didn't want to waste their money by apply- ing more than was needed. Many were Richard Ekins got weed-free com with reduced herbicide rates, but not s9ybeans (more on pg. 4). spurred by environl!lental concerns; they ers $500 to help defray their costs in carry- didn't want to add more agrichemicals to ing out a scientifically valid experiment. the environment than was needed to do the Usually that means setting up test plots in A Call for Projects job. which treatments are randomly assigned The on-farm research project is on- and replicated four or more times and data Again this year, the on-farm research committee is looking for going. Kalamazoo dairyman Roger French are collected and averaged. MASA has paid "farmers wanting to do projects. chairs the committee that (I)" solicits and $250 for a demonstration project, in which If you have an idea you'd like to test, contact Roger French at selects new projects, (2) helps farmers set a farmer tries out a new idea or practice, Dawnera Farms, 10004 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo 49009, or call up on-farm experiments that are scientifi- such as composting, in which no side by 616/375-0658. An alternate contact is Russ LaRowe, MASA ex- cally meaningful, and (3) collects and pub- side testing is needed. ecutive director, at 605 N. Birch St., Kalkaska MI 49646 (tele- lishes the results. Each project is assigned a coordinator Most projects attempt to optimize use who helps the farmer set up the experiment phone 616/258-3305. of inputs, enhance environmental protec- and co]]ect and compile the results. Deadline for application is March 1. The committee will meet in tion and in general help to identify sus- Financing in past years has come from March, select the projects it wishes to support and contact you in tainable practices. the American Farmland Trust and the C.S. plenty of time to get your project underway this spring. In past years, MASA has paid farm- Mott Foundation. able agriculture practices among Michigan City, 313/724-2263; Marlin Goebel, MASA Elects New Officers farmers. Executi ve Di rector is Russ LaRowe, located in the MASA office at 605 Hill man, 517/742-4505 ~ Christopher Lufkin, Ionia, 616/527-5357; and Paul MAS A members elected a new presi- Luttenbacher, a greenhouse grower from N. Birch St., Kalkaska, MI 49646, who Luttenbacher, Clio, 810/686-1370. Lead- dent and a new board member and reelected Clio in Genesee County, who was one of may be contacted for membership informa- ership Development Coordinator is John two board members at the annual meeting the orginal board members of MAS A when tion or other matters. Phone: 616/258-3305 Durling, Michigan State University, 517/ during the Michigan Agriculture Mega- it was formed in 1990. Fax: 616/258-3318. 353-3209 Fax 353-7186. Roger French, Conference January 12. Reelected to the board were Marlin MASA officers are: President, Cindy Kalamazoo, 616/375-0658, chairs the On- The new president is Cindy Dutcher, Goebel, who runs a cow-calf operation near Dutcher, Goetzville 906/297-2120; Vice- Farm Research Committee. Advisory from Goetzville in Chippewa County. She Hillman in Montmorency County, and Rich President, Robert Fogg, Leslie, 517/589- Board Chair is Gran Hesterman, MSU, and husband John own a farm devoted to Lauwers, a cash crops farmer from Imlay 9290; Secretary, Greg Mund, "Rothbury, 5] 7/355-0264. , forage production for beef, sheep and an- City in St. Clair County. 616/788-3492; Treasurer, Tom Guthrie, If you have sustainable agriculture gora goats. They recently added blueber- The Michigan Agricultural Steward- Delton, 616/623-2261 or -2255. news to share, send it to Newsletter Editor ries and are developing a U-pick operation. ship Association is a non-profit organiza- Other directors are Jerry Wirbel, Hope, Dick Lehnert, 2700 E. Cavanaugh Rd., The new board member is Paul tion, the goal of which is to foster sustain- 517 /689-3857~ Richard Lauwers, Imlay Lansing MI 48910. 517/882-2794 Fax: 887-4964. MASA at MSU's ANR Week - March 6 MASA members and interested farm- "Scientists here feel they are making sig- A260 Plant and Soil Sciences Building, ers are invited to participate in an nificant breakthroughs and are anxious to East Lansing MI 48824. agroecology discussion session Wednesday, share their research." The day before, March 5. organic March 6, during ANR Week at Michigan The program will go from 9 a.m. to 4 farmers will hold educational meetings. State University. p.m. at the auditorium of the Plant and Soil In the afternoon, the MASA board of di- "There has been significant interest Sciences Building on the MSU campus. rectors meet. In the even ing, a play based among producer groups and agricultural Speakers will address use of rotations, on the life and works of Rachel Carson agency and industry professionals for in- cover crops, plant diversity in the land- will be performed in the Kellogg Center formation on more effective use of biology scape, crops residues and other practices Auditorium. Part of the cost has been de- in production systems," says Richard that affect biological processes. frayed by a grant from MASA. To order Harwood, who holds the C.S. Mott Foun- To make a reservation for a box lunch play tickets ($5 each) or have lunch with dation Chair of Sustainable Agriculture at to be eaten in the greenhouse conservatory, the organic growers ($10), contact Anne MSU. "Michigan is a leader nationally in send $10 check to MASA, Office of Sus- Conwell at the above address. Feb.' 16 is several key agroecological areas," he said. tainable Agriculture, c/o Anne Conwell, deadline. Cindy Dutcher 2 Sustainable Agriculture Gary Manley. St. Joseph County Soil Arthropods Thrive Under Cover -Crops Soil arthropods are small creatures-- system food web, evaluate the influence' of arthropods increased with increasing insects, mites, spiders--that scurry about at selected ground covers on biodiversity and ground cover biomass. ground level finding food for themselves population density of arthropods in the soil . Annual rye grass plots obtained the and being food for other organisms. They ecosystem, and monitor the influence of largest biomass by late November. At tas- are part of a complex ecosystem. ground covers on crop development and sel time, _hairy vetch plots had the largest Last year, Gary Manley, owner of a yield. biomass. Following tassel, the vetch died l20-acre farm near Three Rivers in St. Jo- The experiment looked at four cover back leaving a thick layer of mulch on the seph County and an agricultural consult- crops interseeded into corn planted into soil surface. This mulch layer resulted in ant, ran experiments to determine how soybean stubble. A non-seeded portion higher poppulationsof detritus feeders I ground cover affects the number and spe- served as a control. Hairy vetch, 20 pounds (mites and Collembola, for example) and des diversity of this population of soil per acre, was dragged into the soil on May the largest total arthropod density during arthropods. 30, the day before it was planted to corn. the September-October sampling period. As well as being a MAS A-supported In the other treatments, 20 pounds of an- Various arthropods showed positive project, his on-farm work was part of a nual ryegrass, or 15 pounds of annual response to one or more covers. Diptera, larger study of cover crops being done by Gary Manley with his arthropod traps ryegrass plus 11.25 pounds of crimson clo- parasitic Hymenoptera and spiders did best Dale Mutch, an IPM and cover crops Ex- Objectives of the study were to deter- ver, or 15 pounds of crimson clover, ~ere in hairy vetch. Isopoda, Opiliones, carabid tension specialist at Kellogg Biological Sta- mine ways to increase species diversity planted on June 23 after cultivation the day adults and Staphylinid adults ,were more tion. and add to the complexity of the soil eco- earlier. numerous in crimson clover. Thysanura Arthropods were collected during five and Symphyla appeared to seek the annual Paul Guenther. Washtenaw Countv sampling periods and the number of spe- ryegrass cover. Chilopoda did not appear des and individual specimens were re- to influenced by type of cover or its presense Intercrops Work in corded. In all cases, the number of speci- mens found under cover crops was more or absense. During 1995, with ample rainfall, ' Seven of Last Eight Years than double the number from the control area. Both diversity and density of growing ground covers had no influence on corn yield. Paul Guenther has been implement- trogen inputs, and control erosion. ing alternative, sustainable practices on his As he evaluates legumes, for intercrop- Washtenaw County ping into corn, he looks for (I) ease of es- Chuck Cornillie. Shiawassee County farm since 1986. He tablishment, (2) biomass accumulation that- uses legume cover doesn't reduce corn yield, and (3) a life Brood Cows Graze Standing Corn crops and intercrops, cycle that ends naturally the next spring. Brood cows graze standing biological soil amend- Guenther planned to evaluate berseem corn on the Chuck Cornillie farm. ments and reduced-rate and crimson clover in his 1995 MASA re- His 80-head Angus, Simmental and and banded herbicides. search plot. But for the first summer since Limousin cow-calf operation in His quest started he began intercropping in 1988, he didn't southeastern Shiawassee County with a subscription to get any intercrops sown. Weath.er patterns was involved in an on-farm dem- The New Farm and Paul Guenther were such that by time the first-cut hay was onstration sponsored by MASA for personal contacts with made, the corn was too tall to dri ve through the second year. other producers within the sustainable ag- to interseed. Lower cow-calf production riculture movement. Now Guenther is Always philosophical about his own costs and reduced environmental himself a recognized source of informa- approach to sustainable agriculture, impact were his objectives. Over- tion on cover cropping and intercropping. Guenther evaluated his 1995 intercrop fail- wintering feed is one of a cow-calf As intercrops, Guenther has tried un~. "With fewer purchased inputs, we de- operation's most expensive inputs, seven or eight Australian annual medic pend more on our own management and he says. Grazing standing corn varieties, George black medic, crimson labor. This summer we just plain ran out saves 30 to 40 cents per bushel by eliminating costs of combining, Chuck Comillie and berseem clover and hairy vetch. of time to get our work done. But inter- Guenther looks to intercrops to improve crops definitely have a place on our farm hauling, drying, storing and feeding. Corn- mental benefits include eliminating feed- soil quality, help reduce herbicide and ni- and will be back again next year." stalks are also utilized in grazing. Environ- lot runoff and reducing fuel consumption for corn harvest and manure handling. Henry Miller. St. Joseph County, A 16-acre field was planted to a full- season hybrid in early May. No fertilizer Trying Alternative Methods in Growing Seed Corn was applied based on soil and late spring nitrate tests. In the fall every other six-row Henry Miller's primary crop is seed different rates of nitrogen sidedessed as he some response to' 82 pounds over 75 strip was combined. Alternate strips and com. In recent years, his goal has been to tries to home in on the right rate. pounds. stalks from harvested rows were left for grow less corn after corn. From com fol- In 1993, the lowest rate (68 pounds N The no-till seed corn yielded almost winter grazing. Yields of the combined lowing corn- for three or four years, HI am per acre sidedressed about 26 pounds N at identically to corn planted after conven- strips ranged from 50 to 130 bushels per now rotating every year," he said. In 1995, planting) produced visual symptoms of de- ti~nal tillage. Since the crop was planted acre. Brood cows in their third trimester of he grew 500 acres of ficiency. The three rates sidedressed this into oats, which died over the winter, a low gestation were put on the standing com De- com for seed, 190 acres year showed no response to added nitro- rate of Roundup was used as a burndown, cember 9. A polywire fence with plastic of snap beans, 60 acres , gen above the 82 pounds per acre rate (in making this treatment cheaper than a till- step-in posts was placed where the corn had of alfalfa, and, in a new addition to 30 at planting), but possibly age trip. been combined. The fence was advanced venture, leased out 370 daily to allow consumption of 10-11 pounds 1995 SEED CORN NITROGEN RATES of corn per cow per day. Baled soybean acres for potatoes. Like some other DATE Treatment I Treatment 2 Treatment 3 straw (approximately 5% crude protein) seed corn growers in St. Fall 1994 ............. Chisel plow . was provided as a supplement. Joseph County, Miller is' 5-15 ............. Field cultivate . Experience gained in the first year working with potato Henry Miller 5-16 Plant corn with 200 Ibs. 15-15-2 starter and 6 Ibs. Lorsban guided Cornillie's management of the sec- growers from other ar- 5-22 Spray Dual 1.5 pints ond year demonstration. Cows had grazed eas of Michigan. Both potato growers and 5-31 Spray 4 oz. Pounce for flea beetles standing com in alternating strips of corn seed corn growers are seeking ways to use 6-13 Sidedress 75 pounds N 82 pounds N J /5 pounds N and soybeans the previous year, but plant- effective crop rotations.' Both use sandy 6-20 Spray Buctril and atrazine for weed control ing the alternating strips turned out to be a soils onto which they have added expen- September ........... Harvest . challenge. This year, having measured sive irrigation equipment, so both want to Yield 98.98 bla 104.39 bla ~03.1 0 bla yields from the machine-harvested strips plant high-value crops. As part of the so- provided useful information for matching lution, potato acreage in St. Joseph County NO-TILL VS. TILLED SEED CORN strip size with daily feed requirements. boomed to 6,000 over the last two years. Previous Crop: Snap beans Cornillie's experiences with grazing One of Miller's goals is to reduce cost standing com have been shared with farm- of inputs, including tillage, on the seed Date Treatment I Treatment 2 ers. The Cornillie demonstration was a fea- corn. In his on-Carm research in 1995, re- Fall 1994 Chisel plow and plant oats cover crop tured stop on a Michigan Cattlemen's As- ported in the tables, he: 5-15 Field cultivate Spray /.4 pints Roundup sociation tour and the subject of a farm (1) appl ied different rates of nitrogen 5-16 ........... Plant . magazine article published in several states. fertilizer sidedressed and checked the yield 5-22 Sprayed Dual 1.5 pints In addition to economic and environ- response. 5-31 Sprayed Pounce for flea beetle control mental aspects, Cornillie sees flexibility as (2) tested the effects of tilling versus 6-13 Cultivate and sidedress N a major benefit. "I had another corn field I no-till for seed corn in the year following 6-20 Spray Buctril (3.75 pints) and atrazine (.2 pounds) was going to graze this winter. But when snap beans and a fall-seeded cover crop of 9-10 ........... Harvest . corn got to $3 last fall, I decided to com- oats. Yield 138.42 bla 139.39 bla bine and sell. I like the way this system lets This is the third year Henry has tested me keep my marketing options open." Sustainable Agriculture 3 Chellisons Farm: Ingham County Do Cover Crops Provide Persisting Fertility? The use of cover crops is increasing In 1995, com was planted again. The There was considerable yield variabil- The effect of the clover, while signifi- as producers seek to improve the health of entire field was plowed, 100 pounds of 9- ity among the 10plots in the trial. One very cant in the following year's corn in 1994, the soil while maintaining Of. enhancing 44-9 was used as starter fertilizer, and 100 high result was thrown out as abnormal. in this test did not show a fertility effect. farm profitability. pounds of nitrogen was applied as The average com yield from the wheat plus Phil said yields overall were low in that Potential benefits of cover crops in- sidedressed ammonia. The goal was to see clover plots was 114.6 bushels per acre, field this year compared to his other corn, clude helping farmers cut fertilizer costs, if there was any noticeable effect in 1995 almost identical to the 114.1 yield on the and he can't explain the disappointing yield reduce soil erosion and surface water pol- from the clover planted in 1993 and 1994. wheat-only plot. in either the treated or untreated plots. lution, reduce herbicide costs, reduce the potential for groundwater contamination and cut fuel and irrigation costs. Sheridan Farms. Tuscola County- Legume cover crops such as clover pro- How Much Tillage for Sugar Beets? duce nitrogen Pat Sheridan is already sold on the Ray acre. 'The beets in the moldboard-plowed soils so there are sand bars in the fields as that becomes Rawson way of doing things; he uses the field looked the best early," Pat said, "but well:' available to suc- Rawson zone at the end the zone-tilled beets yielded the Pat says he's "playing with" a ceeding crops.'In tillage system, in best." Rawson-designed tool called a zone 1995, a test was which coulters The yield differences may not be sci- builder. A .deep-tilling shank--a ripper made at mounted on a entifically significant. The field that was point--is used in the fall to disturb the soil ' Chellisons Farm cart in front of heavily tilled in the fall had root aphid dam- where the rows will be planted the next in Mason. The the planter pro- age the next year. And the fields were not year. Pat considers it a "transitional tool," farm is owned Phil Hall vides all the till- identical. Pat saws the Sheridan Farms useful once to break up compaction, on the and operated by Phil and Nolan Hall with age at planting have 15 different soil types. "Most are clay path to the once-over planting procedure their sons Mike and Pete. Together they time. Last year, loam," he said. "But these are old lakebed with the zone tillage system. milk 70 cows and farm nearly 8.00 acres in the zone tillage a com-corn-soy beans-wheat/red clover ro- planter unit was extended to Pat Sheridan tation. Jon Mills. Van Buren County Last year was the third year in a dem- sugar beets for the first time. onstration that looked at the effects of red The farm's 1,500 acres near Fairgrove clover compared to no cover on wheat (1993) and the two com crops following in Tuscola County is devoted to com, wheat, soybeans, dry' beans and sugar beets. Pat Rye Wasn't a Good in 1994 and 1995. Red clover was frost- seeded into wheat when urea was broad- cast in the spring of 1993. There was no farms with his father, Pat, and son Lucas. Last year, Sheridan Farms participated in a MAS A demonstration project compar- Nurse Crop for Alfalfa appreciable difference in wheat yields with ing three different tillage options for sugar When Jon Mills conceived his MASA seemed like the rye was toxic to the al- clover or ip bales of straw harvested (40 beets. research project, he thought the results falfa." bales per acre for both treatments). The cost While the Sheri dans had 'already de- would be opposite of what they were. Mills grows ISO acres of alfalfa hay of the clover seed ($12 per acre) was the cided to plant using the zone tillage planter, "I would like to investigate what hap- for sale and to feed to the 150 head of beef only added expense. they had one field that had been tiled and pens if alfalfa is seeded directly into an es- he raises from calf size to slaughter weight. A spring soil nitrate test was used to needed tillage for leveling. It was a good tablished field of drilled rye seeded to be He's chairmen of the Van Buren Soil Con- -determine'the nitrogen contribution from time to compare. taken as a grain crop," he said then. "The servation District, from which he rented the clover to the 1994 corn crop. A 55- One field, 190 acres with the new tile, alfalfa will be seeded at different rates to the no-till drill and put on 10, 15 or 20 pound-per-acre nitrogen credit was given was fall-plowed and field cultivated twice determine at which. rate it can best be es- pounds of alfalfa seed per acre. It was for the clover, which allow~d a reduced in the fall, and the beets were planted with tablished, the most economical cost and at planted into 7.5 acres of rye planted last sidedress rate of 55 pounds while the no- the zone-till unit in the spring. One 80-acre which point, if any, the alfalfa seeding be- fall. He grows 30 to 50 acres of small cover treatment required 110 pounds of field was field cultivated once in the fall comes a pest to the rye crop." grains each year, as well as 150 acres of added nitrogen per acre. At the time of and zone-till planted the next spring. A third In fact, the rye suppressed the alfalfa com and 60 of soybeans. sidedressing, clover was seeded into the 80-acre field was zone-till planted in the so thoroughly fewer than two plants per Mills found the alfalfa didn't do well com. The clover developed a thick stand spring with no other tillage. In each case, square foot survived when the rye was har- in rye, whether on sandy soil or the black under the corn canopy. the previous crop was soybeans. vested. loam in one low comer of the field. That fall ( 1994) there was a slight com The results: The heavily fall-tilled field "The alfalfa was there," he said. "You With alfalfa seed at $2.50 a pound, this yield benefit in the clover treatment (148 yielded 13.7 tons per acre. The fall field could see the rows. It came up good, but was an expensive test, one he won't try bushels per acre with clover, 144 without), cultivated field yielded 12.3 tons per acre. then it died off. There was good rain and again. For whatever reason, rye wasn't a even with less nitrogen applied. The zone-tilled beets yields 15.4 tons per the rye averaged 47 bushels per acre. It good nurse crop for alfalfa. George and Sallv Shetler. Kalkaska County Grazing Fattens Da.iry Operation1s Bottom Line -MASA's longest-running demonstra- supplemental feed costs dropped as well. five grazed herds, averaging 86 cows per compared to 4.39 for the grazed cows. tion project involves the Shetler family's The results has been a fairly steady rise of herd, was very close to Shetler's 16,319 Net farm income on the grazed herds intensive rotational grazing project for their income over feed costs (based on 1991 pounds of milk. The confined herds av- was $431 per cow compared to $397 for dairy herd. prices for feed and milk). eraged 105 cows and 20,712 pounds of the confined animals. George and' Sally had five children at Glenn Kole, Michigan State Univer- milk per cow. The three charts show measurements home when the project began in 1990. sity Extension district farm management A big difference was labor hours re- taken on the Shetler farm. Electricity use Now, only two are at home to help with agent, has compiled data on 10 farms in quired per cow. The grazed herds re- is down about a thousand kilowatts per the farm. Part of the reason for their mov- northwest Michigan--five that used graz- quired 71 hours per cow, the confined month and supplemental feed costs are less ing toward grazing was to address the la- ing, five that used conventional confine- herds 107 hours. Confined herds re- than half what they were in the last year bor shortage they saw coming. ment feeding. Production per cow on the quired more acres per cow, 6.13 acres that the Shetlers kept their cows confined. Now, the 275-acre Kalkaska County farm is devoted entirely to forage. The farm RoIUng Herd Ave. (grazing MDOn) has grown no corn for two years and does eooo lllOOO not plan to return to corn. George's goals lllOOO of reducing labor and cost of production S I - C 14000 have been largely achieved. o w After experimentation with exotic I o • 1.0 ------ 12000 10000 grasses. George settled on some conven- Y 0.5 tional grass-legume mixes. This year he 1000 will seed morc orchard grass. which has 1lllt1 ll1ll2 111113 11lllS performcd well with high quality and lon- o ll1llO 11185 gcvity. ll1llO 11181 18112 11183 llllM llll15 Although production per cow dropped. 4 Sustainable Agriculture Richard Ekins, Jackson County Using Half-Rate Herbicides on Corn and Soybean~ "I think I can get satisfactory weed cide rates low, partly for economic, partly half rate with oil post-emergence, then I then look to post-emergence herbicides, control right across the board using half for environmental reasons. He likes to use cultivated once if I needed to. With no-till, broadcast if necessary but otherwise spot- rates of herbicides mixed with vegetable atrazine on corn, but thinks farmers may you don't have the option to cultivate." sprayed. With modern herbicides, the op- oil," said Richard Ekins, a farmer from lose the right to use this effective herbi- In future years, Ekins plans to continue tions are there to rescue a crop if that's Rives Junction in Jackson County. "But that cide. "When I used tillage, I used atrazi.ne using herbicides at half rates with Landoil, needed. assumes weeds are pretty well under con- trol to begin with. If not, I wouldn't try it." Duane Roberts. Kent Countv Rotary Hoe Preplant Showed No Benefit When Duane Roberts read about it in many of his farm acre are highly erodible, for row cleaners in corn stubble, getting No-Till Farmer, it sounded like a great perfecting no-till has been his goal. 15 more plants per 100 feet of row and idea. So he tested it on his farm last year In 1994, he experimented with row about seven bush~ls more corn per acre. as a MASA-funded research project. cleaners on three of his six no-till corn He equipped the remaining planter units "I was looking for an outstanding dif- planter units, and saw a yield advantage for use this year. ference," he said. "But comparing the two, " $~>